Unions....I know they have their good and bad sides, take the US auto industry, for instance. They make GOOD money...but the greed destroyed the industry....what is the good and bad of Teamsters? I know Ive heard great things...my BFF's dad drove for Carolina in the Teamsters...he loved it...please advise!
It's up to you to decide which company is best for you. Don't look at the company going out of business because they will all have rumors saying they are closing the door. Even a good sounded company may close a terminal and put you out of work due to change. You never know. What you want to do is take care of yourself and I believe working for retirement. So make sure the company has a good retirement plan and you can transfer it if you need to if they do close the shop. Make a list of what you want and just don't be blinded by the pay. Look hard at all the benefits because they cost you plenty if you have to pay out of pocket. And about the auto industry. Well that all depends on who you ask, the guy that started in the 50's made a killing and retired, or the guy that got hire a year before they shut down. I would never think that the job is solid and going to last forever. So you would want to protect yourself the best you can if they did close the doors. So just compare that job with others and pick the best one that fits your needs. And remember good jobs are hard to find.
unions ain't what they used to be. i worked for one union company and i regretted it till the day i quit. the unions do not have a strong hold like they did back in grandad's days. and you have NO protection from closings either. stay non-union...........you'll be better off.
I'm not a trucker yet, but i know a lil' something bout this... The suits at the auto makers shot themselves in the foot by signing the union contracts they did. Now, legacy costs are drowning them. Over, yes, over $1500 in the price of each car on a lot is to pay for healthcare for retiree's, who's retirement, from said auto makers, likely makes most of our salaries look like pocket change. Corporate greed is not a good thing, unless you think profiting enough for stability and growth is "corporate greed". Now, about the unions now-a-days....
There are pro's and cons to both as a driver at least in the LTL/parcel industry. I've never worked for a union carrier but I know a lot of drivers that do or used to and now work here. UPS Parcel/Freight seems to be the most efficient of the union companies these days. They bought out of the multi-employer pension fund which IMO, is one of the best business decisions any trucking company has ever made. Their contract is separate from the NMFA and their pay rates for drivers are incredible. One of undeniable advantages of working for a union carrier is job protection in the event of some type of incident. At my non-union carrier, we have certain things that will get you fired automatically and although they should not happen, they are incidents that do happen with the amount of hours spent on the dock. At a union company you would not be fired for the incident which is correct to me if it's the first time. You also have recourse if you're basically screwed over by a dispatcher. There have been times here I did not get the run I should have by seniority and all I got was an oops. At a union carrier you could file and you would be paid the lost wages because of their mistake or in my case, what was easier for them. The health care benefits and benefits in general are great at a union carrier. Mine are decent here but union bennies are much better. From what I understand though, the NMFA carriers have suspended pension contributions for some time now. They did have a vote on wage reductions though whereas I did not - they did give us half of it back so I suppose I can't complain too much. Some advantages to a non-union carrier. This does not reflect on all non-union companies but I'll use Con-way and FedEx Freight since they are similar and I know a ton of FedEx Drivers very well while working at Con-way for the last 7 years - count Old Dominion in also since I know they are doing very well. During the last year the NMFA carriers were still cutting in every area possible Con-way and FedEx were gaining business and hiring drivers. My terminal alone has hired and actually retained about 40-45 drivers so far this year. Both carriers have plenty of work which allows you to make a lot of money. The other advantage to that is with only 7 years in I have well over 100 drivers under me on the board - I'm in the mid 60's which allows me to go anywhere I want on night-line haul. If I wanted city, I could have any start time I wanted that is offered. 7 years at a YRC company would have me 100 deep on the lay off list. This might sound weird but we make a lot more right now. Other than the UPS companies, Con-way and FedEx Freight drivers have substantially better wages than the other LTL carriers whether union or non-union. I'll be very close to making 90k this year. I'm on pace for it but it just depends on if I want to work that much the rest of the year. Keep in mind though nothing is set in stone - my post is just a reflection of the current LTL landscape. Two years ago union NewPenn was whooping arse while my Con-way terminal was closed. They were acquired by YRC and had the blood sucked out of them and Con-way now has freight we don't have the power to move. USF Holland was one of the really elite LTL service providers a few years back till YRC sucked the blood out of them. Just don't get acquired by YRC..lol.. All kidding aside, for my money if I could take my 7 years of LTL to any company it would be UPS Freight or Parcel hands down. Other than some of their drivers that just like to complain, it is definitely considered the best of the LTL jobs by drivers at all the companies and it's union. UPSF is the place but otherwise I would advise you find the first LTL that wants you and just go for the ride as long as you can whether it's union or non-union right...
Good post Jake. Different types of companies have different types of rules. I too have work right along side ex-union members but in the gasoline business, with my company anyway, they are useless IMHO. I asked one driver has he ever seen a union rep in the office fighting for a driver and he said not in my 25 years. If you're in the office and you need a union rep you're history anyway. And I support that because it takes alot to be called in. You really have to screw up and we just can't afford mishaps like those. The only difference at my company between a union driver and a non-union drivers are the union dues. Our pay was the same, our benefits were the same, and our three different retirement programs were the same. At one time the unions were desperately needed in the gasoline business but today there's so many rules and regulations there's no need. Plus the company is extremely fair in their employment practices it's just like the union. I'm sure there's a need in some types of companies but their reputation is scary. Like the HBO special called the "Last Truck" where GM closed the doors on all the employees. I had a good friend that was one of the bosses at Willig Freight Lines and after 23 years he was out of work. Too young to draw retirement and too old to start over. And Jake, wasn't Conway the non-union side of Consolidated Freightways? So you never know. It just makes you wonder how secure you job really is. In my opinion there's no real job security. I would not consider a job solely on the basis of union or not. I would look very close at how the company works and how it falls into my needs. If it's union and I like the company then so be it. Making money,taking care of the family,and making a good retirement were always my priority.
